The Power of Hope: Theatre

Throughout my life, I have found that theatre is impossible to categorize. I say this because interpretation, in my opinion, is the biggest contributing factor to the creation and showcase of theatre. Learning this was a turning point in my life because, like many things taught to me, theatre was a concrete activity. It was not until my first acting methods class, a lesson in Meisner, that I realized theatre cannot be concrete. Through the layers of interpretation that were finally presented to me, I was able to understand myself and other people's actions, not only in theatre, but in life. Acting methods such as Meisner, Spolin, Hagen, etc. are not just "acting methods", but guides for societal and emotional morality. Translating this onto the stage became my favorite element of theatre. I discovered I could be as realistic or as melodramatic as I needed to be, as long as I was genuine to myself through the imaginary circumstances of the story that I am telling. I believe there is no way to know exactly what a person is going through, including yourself, and theatre has taught me to heal the frustration of unanswered questions, feelings, and thoughts. Theatre is the mystery that sets a balanced faith within my life.